Chapter 31

===================

Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

“Heok, that place is 3rd?”

“No, they did that well?”

“In the first place, their rankings are the highest too……”

“And the reaction was no joke either.”

As we took 3rd place, the participants of other teams around us actually whispered among themselves.

I was grateful, but in fact, this situation had been foreseen from the moment it was said that audience members could cast two votes per person.

‘They all put in strategic votes.’

If they were to come as far as the audience, it meant they were mostly heavy viewers who had participants they were pushing.

Those audience members first vote for the team with the participant they like the most.

And then they would have put one vote for a team with ‘low rankings and good skills.’

There was no way they would give a vote to this team, which could be a competitor to the participant they were mainly pushing.

Thinking about it that way, honestly, taking 3rd place was holding out well.

It meant that in addition to the audience members who had pushing participants in this team, we swept up all the votes of a few people who just came to see.

However, the team members seemed quite shocked.

“…Thank you!”

Ryu Chungwoo, who answered one beat late, vigorously bowed his waist and greeted.

The team members diligently followed the thank-you greeting, but it was clear that they were expressions struggling to appear calm.

“Thank you.”

I also nodded my head.

The announcement of 1st and 2nd place was postponed again to the ranking announcement ceremony. Among them was the team Choi Wongil gathered, which was ‘similar to the first round team.’

“Then, Shareholders! We will see you at the ranking announcement ceremony with the news of 1st place in the team battle for !”

After the MC’s closing remarks, somehow Choi Wongil seemed to have glanced this way with a triumphant expression.

‘Is he a fool…….’

He was like that every time.

Is it because he hasn’t tasted the spicy flavor of editing yet?

Anyway, this team was in a state where they didn’t have the mental capacity to notice such things. Ryu Chungwoo patted each of the team members’ shoulders as they sent applause while feeling down.

“Good job. We must have been cool because we did our best. Let’s not worry.”

“Yes……”

“That’s right. We did well!”

Well, as Cha Yujin said, it was certain that the stage was well-done.

So, if we didn’t receive sympathy votes with this, at least we wouldn’t be criticized.

Since there was no one in this team who seemed like they would be eliminated in the next ranking announcement ceremony anyway, it was rather the best result.

The problem was the editing, but as long as editing that only saves Ryu Chungwoo and kills all the other guys doesn’t come in again, it will be average. Because the stage came out well.

Since they were all guys with fandoms attached already, most malicious editing would be neutralized in the public opinion war.

Kim Raebin, whose first team battle broadcast was ruined but whose fans persistently fought the public opinion war and sat him back in the rankings, was an example of that.

Ah, the man himself is speaking to me.

“Um… Moondae-hyung.”

“Oh, what.”

Kim Raebin bowed his head.

“Thank you so much in many ways. Could we exchange contact information?”

“Sure.”

I obediently gave him my number.

He was a participant with whom there was nothing bad about having a friendship. Thanks to that overpowered composition trait, I also got a free ride on the arrangement.

Furthermore, looking at his personality, unlike the guy Big Sejin who contacted me all the time, he seemed like someone who would only call for business quickly when necessary and finish it.

Kim Raebin received the number and bowed his head again.

“I will send my greetings occasionally.”

“……That’s good.”

I didn’t know if I was talking to an idol trainee or a subordinate.

‘Oh, come to think of it…….’

Is this an opportunity to change the so-called ‘group of bundled participants’?

Since this team battle also ended successfully, there was a possibility that the fandom would be reorganized on its own if a few witness accounts of friendship were leaked to match the airing of the next episode.

The guys bundled with ‘Park Moondae’ in the beginning had many risk factors, from drugs to the final ranking in the future. Furthermore…

‘Wouldn’t the survival rate be higher if I’m bundled with a guy whose final ranking will be higher?’

The possibility that my reputation on the side pushing Cha Yujin would become a bit less hostile if I was bundled with Kim Raebin could not be ignored either.

‘Good grief.’

Having to do even this kind of calculation made me feel quite a lot of reality hit, but who would care about dignity when they’re told they’ll die suddenly?

“Good job everyone~”

“You’ve worked hard!”

While rolling my brain occasionally even while packing my luggage to prepare to leave work, someone tapped my back from behind.

“Um, excuse me.”

“Hmm?”

When I turned my head, Seon Ahyun had a determined expression.

A guy who had only said hello because he was busy for nearly a week suddenly came to speak with a face as if he had made up his mind?

‘Is some bad rumor going around?’

Seon Ahyun looked around, and after confirming that people weren’t staring, he soon whispered with wide eyes.

“You, you know Choi Wongil,”

“…? Uh, what about Choi Wongil.”

Why was the story of Choi Wongil coming out suddenly again?

‘Did he come to swear because he was being a jerk again to get a part?’

Surprisingly, this blindly thrown thought was half-right.

“He, he’s such a mean kid…!”

Seon Ahyun was almost huffing with anger.

“…….”

No, what kind of personality-acting-out would he have to do to make this pushover get this pissed off?

“Why, what happened?”

“Ye-Yes!!”

Seon Ahyun nodded his head vigorously and began to cautiously explain what happened in the last team battle.

“A-At first, he kept… a-asking for his part,”

Oh, my prediction shot was completely correct.

“He, he kept bringing you up! And s-sarcastically… .”

To summarize the explanation that followed about Choi Wongil’s actions, it was roughly like this.

‘Since I didn’t get camera screen time in the first round, it’s right that I get some this time. I even formed the team, shouldn’t you be grateful?’

‘Why did you give all the parts to Moondae-hyung, but you won’t give them to me even though I’ve also become a main vocal? It seems like you’re discriminating based on friendship.’

He even seems to have said the latter while crying in an interview with the production crew.

‘It seems he learned from the last team battle that hitting first wins.’

When the team members, who were hit in the back of the head in the middle of the night, were stammering, Big Sejin reportedly coaxed Choi Wongil appropriately and organized the situation.

‘Thinking about the broadcast, it’s a wise choice.’

But thanks to that, it seemed the anger of the team members who couldn’t speak properly had nowhere to go.

Seon Ahyun’s cautious attitude had completely changed to a state of towering rage by the time the talk ended.

It even looked like he was stammering because he was so heated up.

“You, you have to be careful…! Because I’m worried he’ll s-speak strangely about you… ah, I’m letting you know.”

Seon Ahyun, whose cheeks had turned bright red, eventually returned to speaking with worry, having cared about Park Moondae in the meantime.

Perhaps this side was the main point.

The situation was funny, but this was truly… something.

‘I’m a bit grateful too.’

In this survival audition where everyone was busy looking out for themselves, a guy who tried to treat me like a real friend rather than network management.

I, who was dividing group ranks with kids, feel like a fool.

‘It’s not like this is a middle school class assignment or something.’

My future knowledge is being completely wiped out as my team hit the jackpot in the first team battle, and I wonder if I acted like a petty paranoid.

I answered with a smirk.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks.”

“No, it’s nothing…….”

Seon Ahyun was startled, then hurriedly waved his hand and returned to his usual timid self.

Big Sejin, who appeared out of nowhere hitting that gap, put his arm around my shoulder.

He’s a guy who seems to have some strange ability to join in wherever there is a conversation.

“Yippee~ friends, what are you doing?”

“I, I was… letting him know.”

“What? Ah… that guy.”

Big Sejin shrugged his shoulders.

Apparently, Choi Wongil had been marked as a troller enough to be referred to by a pronoun instead of his name.

“We just won’t do it together next time~ the one who gets stressed loses. Look at this. The world is too busy even to look at good things.”

“U-Uh, yeah?”

Big Sejin naturally shifted the topic and pulled up something on his smartphone screen and turned it toward Seon Ahyun and me.

It was an SNS post that uploaded photos of advertisement boards in subway stations.

Ah, it’s already time for this.

Hanging advertisements in public facilities is one of the representative supports from idol fans. I remember because the photos I took were also hung a few times.

‘Of course, they were uploaded under the name of the fan account that bought the data.’

Anyway, I thought he was trying to show that his own advertisement board was hung, but it wasn’t just that.

“Tada! This is the three of us?”

“Hmm?”

Looking again, it’s definitely photos of three nearby advertisement boards facing each other.

Below the photos, a post registered together was seen.

========================

[It’s at Hongik University Station, and the October same-age group was hung together, so cuteㅠㅠ I even went and put Post-its!]

========================

Big Sejin said with a grin.

“Hey, isn’t it really amazing? How did they hang the advertisements in a row like this? Did they consult each other?”

“…….”

No.

They must have fought for the spots.

Thinking about how much money and time they must have spent to catch large advertisement boards at a transfer station with good visibility, I felt sorry to the point of being moved.

‘Um, thank you for… investing in Park Moondae’s survivability.’

A new worry arose. Even if I debut and avoid sudden death, it seemed I would have to fill the contract period sincerely to avoid going to hell.

When I was confused by a strange sense of debt, Big Sejin entered the main point.

“Shall we go see this? They say fans even put messages, shouldn’t it be our duty to go once~”

“…….”

That duty, can’t we each keep it individually?

However, Seon Ahyun shouted okay at once with eyes sparkling.

“I, I’d like that!”

“Good, good. Moondae’s going too, right? When shall we set it for?”

Starting by nailing the fact that we’re going together as a given was somehow exactly the same as the method I was hooked by during the group viewing of Episode 3.

Still, well… as Big Sejin said anyway, we had to go see the advertisement boards once out of duty. Even if people recognize us, it’ll be easier to handle than being alone.

I looked back and forth between the two guys for a moment, then just nodded.

“If we’re going, it would be better to go within this week.”

“The sooner the better!”

“I-I’d like that!”

While listening to the two gleeful people diligently setting the date, I packed my bags again.

Well, the mood wasn’t bad.

* * *

And two days later.

I put back on the black cotton mask I had purchased at the convenience store last time.

The destination was Hongik University Station.

Since I had been cooped up at home when it wasn’t filming time, it was my first outing in a while.

[Seon Ahyun: Shall we look at the advertisements and have lunch? I’ve found a few restaurants that look delicious, so if it’s okay with you guys… (See more)]

A message talk came from Seon Ahyun.

‘It’s still long.’

Confirming the reaction of Big Sejin who was overusing emoticons, I went outside and caught a bus.

Since there was no subway within a 20-minute walking distance from the room I contracted at a cheap price.

‘At this rate, I can just move quietly from the stop near Hongik University Station.’

…Thinking like that was a miscalculation.

“Heok.”

“Isn’t that Park Moondae?”

“My goodness… hey, hey, over there!”

It was because as soon as I got off the bus and crossed the crosswalk, it became like this.

I hadn’t even arrived at the meeting place yet, but people were already gathering.

Only a few people recognized me immediately, but because it was a busy area, the crowd was calling more crowds.

“Who is it?”

“Is it a celebrity? An idol?”

‘This won’t work.’

I pondered, then bowed my head to greet them and ran.

I wanted to respond more if possible, but the atmosphere was not ordinary. The ripple effect of the most flourishing audition program at this point was surprising.

Well, it was a time when if you turned on the entertainment news section, there was at least one news related to in the rankings. I was complacent because I didn’t go out.

‘Now that it’s come to this, I have to see the advertisements quickly and disappear.’

While running down quickly into the subway station, a vibration came to my smartphone, but I planned to check after shaking off the crowd for now.

And… I grasped the situation as soon as I arrived at the location where the advertisement boards of the three people were hung.

It was because the two people who had already arrived at the advertisement boards were surrounded by smartphones.

‘It must have been a contact saying they already arrived and it was in this state.’

These fools even came out without wearing masks.

In the meantime, people who recognized Park Moondae cheered.

“Moondae-ya!”

“Moondae is here too!”

It was difficult, but I was grateful. Truly.